How to Take a Car to Mexico Permanently? Import a Car to Mexico

How to take a car to Mexico permanently?

Do you want to know how to import a car to Mexico? All you need to do is

·         Ensure that your car meets the importation requirements

·         Get your documents in order

·         Hire a Licensed agent

Importing your foreign plated car to Mexico is not a hard thing to do on a tourist visa. Read on to understand the steps you need to take to complete the process.

A lot of people visit Mexico every year for business and especially for pleasure. Some come for a short time, while others stay back for an extended period. But one thing all these visitors have in common is that they all require transportation to move around.

So how then do you take your foreign plated car from your country to Mexico permanently if you are going to be a permanent resident in the country?

Taking A Foreign Plated Car To Mexico

If you are only going to be in the country for a few days or weeks, you don’t need to import your car permanently. However, if you are on a six months visa or a temporary residency, and you have a car, you can bring it to Mexico if you want as long as you get Mexican license plates. Foreigners with the right documents can drive a foreign plated car in Mexico on a temporary import permit.

This grace is, however, not extended to citizens and permanent residents though. For permanent residents, they must naturalize the car through importation or sell it in their home country before they come to Mexico.

Anybody with a permanent residency may drive a foreign car to Mexico, but after the 180 days period from the time they arrive in the country, they will have to import it permanently; otherwise, they will be breaking the law.

How To Take A Car To Mexico Permanently: What You Need?

If you wish to bring your car to Mexico permanently, here are the things you need to do.

Make Sure The Car Meets Mexican Vehicular Laws

Before you even attempt to make it happen, you need to be sure that the car in question meets the laws of Mexico. For instance, Mexican laws prohibit the importation of cars produced before 2009. So If your car was produced in 2008 and earlier, the car will not be allowed in.

There are other requirements the car must meet before it is allowed into the country. So it is your responsibility to do your due diligence before making the move.

Mexican laws prohibits the importation of cars produced before 2009. So If your car was produced in 2008 and earlier, the car will not be allowed in.

Know The Fees

You should be aware of the importation fees, which can sometimes be substantial depending on where you will reside in Mexico. There are two fees which are the Import tax and the Value Added tax. The value of these fees will be determined by the customs of Mexico.

But the average fee for VAT is roughly 16% of the value of the cat, while the Import tax is an additional tax besides VAT. VAT is calculated based on the age of the car and where you live in Mexico.

Documents You Will Need

There are certain documents you will need to permanently import your car to Mexico. First of all, you need the original title of the car, your permanent residence card and a photo of the vehicle, an information decal, and the mileage it has clocked. If your papers are not complete and valid, the car will not be allowed in

Hire A Broker

Once you have the fees and documents in order, you will need a licensed customs broker to handle the process for you. Only a licensed customs broker are allowed by the Mexican government to handle the importation of goods and other items like cars into Mexico.

A customs agent or broker are very knowledgeable and understand why the procedures which makes them the best persons to expedite the process for you

Importation Requirements

There are other importation requirements your customs agent will request. For instance, the car must be in working condition. A broken down car will not be allowed into the country. Secondly, it must have no liens on it and you will need to pay an import tax.

Furthermore, the car’s title must be clean and devoid of appurtenances.

Only classic cars that are 30 years old and manufactured before 2009 are allowed into Mexico. In addition, SUVs, Trucks, Cars, and Motorcycles manufactured in North America are allowed into the country. If they are produced elsewhere, they will not be allowed in.

The requirements are more than a few and quite confusing, which is why you need a licensed agent to take you through the procedures and help you handle the process to permanently import your car.

If you want to import a car to Mexico, these steps highlighted in this article are what you’ll need to do. If you are looking for a customs licensed agent to handle the process for you, there are many of them online.